


Santa and the Roses

by blueboxesandtrafficcones



Series: 31 Days of Ficmas 2019 [8]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Jenny (mentioned), Meeting Past Self, Time Travel, department store santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27813112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueboxesandtrafficcones/pseuds/blueboxesandtrafficcones
Summary: Stuck in 1998 at Christmas time while waiting for their daughter to come pick them up, Rose & 12 do what they can to survive the day-to-day, bringing back more than memories of Rose’s life prior to meeting the Doctor - and a meeting with Santa brings them face to face with the past.
Relationships: Twelfth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: 31 Days of Ficmas 2019 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560049
Comments: 15
Kudos: 35
Collections: 31 Days of Ficmas 2019





	Santa and the Roses

**Author's Note:**

> Day 16 of 2019's 31 Days of Ficmas
> 
> Prompt: Naughty and/or Nice

Over the centuries she’d spent travelling with the Doctor, Rose’s life before him had faded to dull memories. That normal, boring life he’d sneered at was no more real to her than a fever dream.

Or, at least, it _had_ been, until he’d gone and gotten them stuck in 1998 without the TARDIS.

A blind smack of the hand silenced the alarm’s bleating, and with a groan, she snuggled further down in the duvet. They’d already been here a month, waiting for Jenny to come pick them up. In the meantime they’d cobbled together the funds for a cheap flat, Rose the driving force in finding them work – when the Doctor had protested, she’d tersely reminded him that she would _not_ be supporting a lay-about, and if he wanted to continue claiming himself superior to her previous relationships, he’d bloody well better get himself a job.

“Were you really going to do this every day for the rest of your life?” his tired voice asked from beside her, and without opening her eyes, she wriggled over to face him. “Get up, go to work, come home, eat, sleep, and repeat?”

“Didn’t have much of a choice. And it’s not so bad, really… It just wasn’t for me.” She moved closer, pressing herself against his front and burying her face in his chest. “Though you could argue that description you gave also applies to our travels… Land somewhere, solve the problem, return to the TARDIS, et cetera. It’s just a different sort of work.”

His answering noise of disgust made her chuckle, and pushing back slightly, she finally blinked her eyes open.

“If we don’t get up we’ll be late.”

“I don’t care.”

“Tough shit.” When he leaned in to kiss her she rolled away, climbing ungracefully to her feet. “If you lose your job we won’t make rent.” She half-listened to his grumbling as she dressed, pulling on plain trousers and a blouse – certainly an upgrade from the jeans-and-tank combination she’d preferred in her teen years, but still reasonable for working in a shop. By the time she turned around he was dressed as well, looking altogether unhappy in his own button-up and slacks.

_Another day in paradise,_ she thought wryly as they stumbled their way to the kitchenette to make tea. _At least this time, I already know this tedium will end with a rescue and a timeship – I just wish Jenny would hurry up. Her father’s daughter, indeed._

* * *

“ _John_.”

It was the sharp tone that caught his attention, and the Doctor looked up from the shirts he was half-heartedly folding to see Beth, his ‘supervisor’, next to him. He considered telling her he found it impressive how she could be smiling and scowling at the same time, but before he could, she continued on.

“Our Santa called out.”

“That’s nice.” He wasn’t unhappy she’d interrupted him for uninteresting office gossip, but was a bit mystified at why – she was usually yelling at him to work _faster_. “So what?”

The girl- and she was a girl still, despite her clipboard and earpiece- rolled her eyes. “We need you to go put the suit on.”

“Why?” None of this was making sense, and he once again wished dearly they had let Rose work at his side to translate- he’d tried arguing it was a disability, that she was essentially his service animal, but Human Resources hadn’t accepted that without a doctor’s note, and furthermore, Rose had been so mad she hadn’t spoken to him for two days. (He still didn’t know why, but had realized it was another incomprehensible human arbitrary line he’d crossed, and he’d be better off letting it go.)

This earned him a sigh. “In twenty minutes our North Pole section opens, and children are already lining up to see Santa and tell him their Christmas lists. We have no Santa. I want _you_ to go put on the suit and be Santa. Now. I swear, are you _sure_ you’re not from Mars? It’s like you’re purposely thick.”

“You want me to play Santa?” The Doctor grimaced at the idea. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” The last child he’d been around was Mickey and Martha’s youngest, a normally happy baby who’d cried from the moment he’d held her, not stopping until back with her mother. He didn’t want a repeat. _This body- and more specifically, personality- wasn’t made for dealing with children._

“Are you refusing to follow orders?” Her tone had changed, borderline threatening, and his shoulders dropped as he remembered Rose’s earlier comment about their rent.

_I’m never living like a human again. They get stupider every generation._ “Can Rose be my elf?”

Even he knew it was a sign of desperation when Beth hesitated, as if considering it, and was pleasantly surprised when she said, “Fine. But if I find out you were inappropriate or used it as foreplay you’ll _both_ be fired. Go to the office, they’ll get you set up as Santa. Just- don’t make me regret this.”

Ignoring her comments about foreplay, he gifted her with a rare, genuine smile, already starting towards the office as he called back to her, “Thank you!”

* * *

With a final mirror check of her elf costume, Rose stepped out of the fitting room to find her husband waiting in the Santa suit, complete with fake beard and enough padding to add another hundred pounds to his figure, and barely managed not to laugh. “Looks good.”

“It’s _itchy_. And it smells.” His disgust was clear, though some of it cleared as he took in her appearance. “You look nice.” She dipped into a little curtsey, holding out the green skirt to show it off.

“Why are you still back here?” Martin, the shift leader, appeared through the door then, looking harried. “You need to be up in the North Pole- it opened two minutes ago, and people are already getting restless!”

He hurried them towards the freight lift they’d take to the top floor where the set was, and Rose had to hide a smile. By the time she’d started at Henricks- er, _would_ start- by 2005 he’d been promoted to assistant store manager, with even less patience and more gray in his hair, but he was familiar, and for that, she was fond of him. Even if he’d been a pain in the arse then. Would be an arse. _Whatever. I see why Gallifreyan has tenses for time travel situations such as these- makes life so much easier._

“It’s fine, it’ll just heighten the excitement for the kids,” Rose soothed, as they stepped onto the lift and the doors slid closed. “And John will be a wonderful Santa, you’ll see.”

“He better. It was him or Wilson.”

Rose flinched slightly at the mention of the electrician, the kindly old man who’d been a victim of the autons the night she met her husband. Judging by his sympathetic look, he remembered, and they were still silent once they stepped out onto the lift doors, Martin striding ahead to the curtain they’d walk through to be on “set”, conferring with the employee there.

“Now, remember,” she whispered as they paused, making minute adjustments to the Doctor’s costume. “Be nice to the kids, ask them what they want for Christmas, take the picture, and let them move on. I’ll keep the line going. Make sure you smile, and _ho ho ho_ , and just… be jolly.”

“I’ve done several runs with Jeff over the years, I can do an excellent impression.”

She barely refrained from rolling her eyes. “Honey, _no_. Think of the Santa from Miracle on 34th Street – kind, knowing, but letting the child figure things out for themself. Speak as little as possible. Do not insult them. Or their parents.”

“Yes, dear.”

His tone was sullen, far from _jolly St Nick_ ; when a quick glance showed no one paying them any attention, she went up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “You’re always nice to Jenny,” she reminded him softly. “Pretend they’re your children. It’ll be great.” Then, even softer, “I love you. So much.”

“We’re ready, Santa.”

They shared a final look, his apprehensive, hers encouraging, and turned.

“Once more into the breach,” the Doctor muttered, before putting on an exaggerated smile and striding forward through the curtain. “Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas everyone!”

“This will be fine, right?” Martin muttered as he passed her back to the lift, and Rose sighed.

“I certainly hope so.”

* * *

And for the first twenty minutes, it was. Rose managed the line, greeting the next customers and making small talk, keeping everything moving while making sure the Doctor didn’t say anything untoward – he was behaving himself though, and so far, no one had any complaints.

“Hi, welcome to the North Pole,” she turned to the next customer, smile freezing on her face as she took the pair in. Mother and daughter were dressed the same: baggy jeans and beat-up trainers, hoodies over tees. Their outfit didn’t fit the Christmas-y theme, but that wasn’t what had stopped Rose’s heart.

“This is Rose,” Jackie Tyler said, oblivious to who she stood before, gesturing to the somewhat sullen twelve-year-old beside her. “Can she see him without the pictures?”

Rose stared at her mother long enough to earn a furrowed brow, before snapping back to action. “Yes! I mean, we’ll take the picture, but you can decline to purchase it, if you like. First time meeting Santa?”

Her pre-teen self nodded shyly, muttering, “M’teacher said we had to do something for Chris’mas we ain’t done before.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” she managed to give her a cheerful smile. “Because Santa’s ready to meet you!” Being very, _very_ careful not to accidentally touch the girl, she guided her towards the Doctor, staring at him meaningfully. It was obvious when he realized who the girl was, his eyes widening and darting between the pre-teen and centuries-old versions, and the unaware Jackie behind them.

“Merry Christmas, young lady,” he recovered as teen-Rose gingerly perched herself on his knee. “How have you been this year? Naughty, or nice?”

Memories of being twelve flashed across Rose’s mind, things she hadn’t thought about in ages – her first period and all the raging teenage hormones that had come with it, and ensuing fights with her Mum; the first time cutting class; the stolen swigs of sherry; the one (and only) puff she’d taken of a cigarette.

The same seemed to be crossing her younger self’s mind, because her eyes dropped and she mumbled, “I tried to be nice,” as she scuffed her toe on the carpet.

“Well, that’s what matters,” the Doctor said encouragingly. “Always _try_. Sometimes, that’s enough – and you can’t ever succeed if you don’t make an attempt.”

“Uh huh.”

“And what would you like for Christmas?”

Leaving them to it, Rose stepped around to the cashier, muttering, “Oi, Kath, I’m gonna pay for their photo package – whichever the mum wants.”

“Why?”

“Because-” Rose frowned at her. “Because she reminds me of my own mum. Don’t make a big deal of it, yeah? Just tell her it’s complimentary.”

“Whatever.” Kath, all of sixteen, couldn’t care less, which suited Rose fine- she didn’t want to answer any further questions. She just wanted to do something nice for her mother, a silent apology for all the hell she’d put her through in her younger teen years.

Watching as the photo was snapped, cementing the moment in time, Rose licked her lips as she looked at her husband. He’d been terribly kind to her younger self, taking more time with her than any of the other kids, and for that, he certainly deserved a reward when they got home.

_You were nice, so I guess I’ll have to be the one who’s naughty._

She couldn’t wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
